Tag



VT. R. GAINES.

TAG.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I3. 1917.

1,392,410', I- Patented Oct. 4, 1921.

WI!" asses I gu/www0@ MM MW@ THOMAS R. lGAINES,

lPATENT OFFICE.

0F NORWOOD, OHIO.

TAG.

f Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 4, 1921.

. i Appnatinnied november 13,1917. serialnNo. 201,726.

To all fwhom ,it may concern: i

Be it known that I, THoMAs R. GAINES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Norwood, in the countyl of Hamilton and State of Chio, haveVinvented lcertain new and useful Improvements in vTag's,fully describedand'represented in the following specification andfth'e accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of the same. l

This invention relates to markingl tags, and more particularly to pricetags. The invention has, been made with the idea of providing a pricetag, the use of whichshall prevent or lead to the detection ofunauthorized change of the price marking of goods or the sale of goods'at less thanthe i marked price. `The'invention Iconsists in a tag havingin addition to the normal visible' marking, that is, the'price mark andusually a serial number'mark in the case of 'a price tag, a Vsecondpri'ceand serial number marking, or as it might be, other duplicatemarking, which is inaccessible and therefore unalterable withoutnoticeable mutilation of the tag. Such secondary marking will usually benormally concealed as well as inaccessible, andthe tagvis most desirablyprovided with a detachablesecondary sheet or tag member to bear suchduplicate marking which is gummed on one side so that when detached fromthe tag it maybe readily affixed to, for example, a sales slip whichgoes to the cashier. The invention includes various features ofconstruction and arrangements of parts, all as hereinafter' describedand pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawings show a price tag which embodies the featuresof the in'- vention inthe form whichv I now consider best. In saiddrawings z;

Figure 1 is a view infront elevation of the tag with a portion of thefront sheetA of the main tag member removed to show the secondary tagmember; f

Fig. 2y is a cross-sectionalview taken on line 2--2 of Fig. v1;

Fig. 3 is a view in frontelevation of the tag before the lfront and backsheets thereof have been secured togetherto render the scondary tagmember inaccessible; and

Fi lis a similar Aview of the tag in the condition shown in Figbut withthe front sheet removed and showing also a vmultiple section secondarytag member.

Referring to the drawings, the price tag illustrated .comprises a maintag member formed offront and backy sheets 1 and 2 respectively, and adetachable secondary tag member or sheet 3 located between and nor,-mally hidden by andrendered inaccessible by the sheets land 2. TheVsheets l and 2 of the main tag member may be made of heavy paper orcardboard or other suitable sheet material andare secured together atopposite edges by means which should be permanent for all practicalpurposes. Most desirably the sheets are secured together by pastel atthe top edge and by an eyelet 4 which serves to receive a string bywhich the tag may be fastened to the article to which it belongs. Pasteand eyelets 5 or other suitablefasteners may also be used for securingtogether the opposite or bottom pages of the sheets, or paste alone ormechanical fastening means` alone might be used. In order to permit thetag to be opened to give access to and for removal of the secondary tagnumber 3 without danger of mutilating the secondary tag member or themarkings on the main tag member, the front and back sheets areperforated or otherwise weakened on corresponding lines near thebottomas indicated by the dottedV lines 7 and 8. Y

The secondary tag member 3 is formed by a sheet of paper or othersuitable material pasted or otherwise secured at one end to one of thesheets of the main tag member with the main portion thereof free fromthe sheets 1 and 2 so that itA may be readily removed therefrom when themain tag member has been opened, and is desirably made smaller than thesheets 1 and 2 and is positioned with its free edges'lying inward awaycoating of suitable adhesive, on one side so that the main portionthereof, which forms the detachable tag member, may, when detached fromthe tag, serve as an adhesive stamp which may be readily ailixed to asales slip or other article; and for convenience in detaching such stampthe sheet 3 is weakened as indicated by the dotted line 9 in Figs. 1 and1, on a line above the markings on the sheet.

Indicating markings are applied to the outer surface of one of thesheets l, 2, and also to the ungummed side of the stamp or detachablesecondary tag member 3. In the case of' a price tag, the marking whichappears on both members will usually be the price and in additionthereto a serial num-V ktag ber. On tags for other purposes other.lsuitable indicating markings will be applied in duplicate. As shown,sheet 1 of the main tag member is marked with a serial number and theprice of the article to which the tag is to be attached, and theremovable or stamp portion of the secondary tag member sheet is markedwith the same serial number and the same price.

Tags marked with standard numbers and price marks may be made upcomplete and ready for use with the same serial numbers and price marksor other markings printed or otherwise marked on both the main ta memberand the secondary tag member, an with the front and back. sheets of themain member permanently fastened together at both ends in the form oftag shown to render the secondary tag member'inaccessible, or in caseoftags of other form embodying features of the invention, otherwisesealed or completed to render the secondary marking inaccessible. Whereit is desired to have'tags marked as used, the tags of the form shownmay be completed except for the sealing of the front and back sheets ofthe main tag member at one end, such endA to be closed and fastenedafter the desired marking has been placed on both the main and secondarytag members.

When a tag such as shown it attached in its completed form to anarticle, it will be impossible to change the marking on the secondarytag member without mutilating the main tag member, and the secondarymarking will always serve, therefore, as a check on the main marking.While price tags embodying the invention might be made use of in variousways, the plan which I recommend is that when a sale is made the salesclerk is to open the Vtag by tearing off the lower endgon the perforatedlines and remove the secondary tag member or stamp 3 and, when there isonly a single stamp 3, affix the same to the sales slip which is sentwith the purchase money to the cashier. The cashieron receiving thesales slip will check the amount entered on-the sales slip with theprice appearing on the tag stamp and thereby be advised Whether or notthe article hasbeen sold at the pro er price. The mere fact of?V havingto fo owv this practice will deter the sales clerk from selling goods atany price other than the marked price; land if on opening a tag vthesales clerk 'shouldfind that the price on the secondary tag member doesnot agree with the main marking he will know that an unauthorized changehas been made in the main marking on the check and will be governedaccordingly in calling the matter to the attention of the properauthority, or otherwise acting according to instructions.

The secondary tag member is yshown in Fig. 1 as providing only onedetachable stamp,-but it is sometimes desirable vto have two or moresuch stam s or detachable secondary tag members. n arrangement providingtwo such members is illustrated byremoved from the opened tag may beplaced onthe sales slip which goes tothe cashier and one on thecustomers sales slip which goes to the wrapper, and the stamps may thustake the place of the' customary pencil marking of the sales slips.Additional insurance against fraud is thus afforded. The two or morestamps 3 of each tag may be of different colors. Y n

' What is claimed is: j

1. A marking Vtag comprising front Vand back sheets secured together toprevent `access to the space between the sheets, 'and 'a detachableAsheet secure-d in thel space between said front and back sheets andin-Vv member formed-of Vfront and back sheets and a detachablesecondarytag'member formed of a sheet smaller than the main tag membersecuredbetween the sheets of the main tag member, the front and-backsheets of the main tag member being secured together at opposite edgesthereof tonormally prevent access to the secondary tag member, and saidfront and back sheets being weakened along a line outside the peripheryofthe secondary tag member to facilitate separation thereof to giveaccess to .the secondary tag member without mutilation of thesecondarytag member.

4. A marking tag comprising a main tag member having front and backsheets, and a detachable secondary tag member formed of a sheet securedbetween the sheets of the main tag member and bearing markingscorresponding vto markings on the main tag member, the front and backsheets rof the main tag member being secured together to tag member, andthe sheet forming the sec- .normally `prevent accessto the secondaryondary tag member being weakened to permit ready detachment of themarked portion thereof without mutilation thereof.

5. A marking tag, comprising a main tag member formed of front and backsheets, and a secondary tag member formed by a gummed sheet bearingmarkings corresponding to markings on the main tag member, the secondarytag member being held between the sheets of the main ta member to beinaccessible without mutilation of the main ta member when the front andback sheets t ereof are secured together,l and being removable from themain tag member when the latter is opened.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twolsubscribing witnesses.

` THOMAS R. GAINES.

Witnesses:

GEO. F. BRELsFoRD, RosALIND WALKER.

